IBM And C&W Collaborate On UK Smart Energy Cloud

IBM has partnered with Cable&Wireless Worldwide to work on a cloud based data and communications solution to support the UK's smart energy meter roll out.

The UK Smart Energy Cloud is designed to monitor and analyze power usage in UK homes, the government plans to have 50 million smart meters rolled out by 2020.

The companies said that the platform will be able to gather information from any smart meter in the UK many times a day and store the information on a UK based data centre.

The power usage data will be then sent to utility companies for analysis to help come up with ways to optimise the use of power and reduce Britain's carbon footprint.

Matt Key, Managing Director of Enterprise at C&W Worldwide, said in a statement, “The challenge is for smart meters to reach the entire UK population and this will require a combination of enabling solutions, such as GPRS, radio and Power Line Carrier to make sure it's cost effective.”

“However, it is the network connecting it all and intelligent data management, that is central to the smart agenda's success,” he added.

UK Smart Energy Cloud will allow IBM to take on other firms keen on offering products for the emerging smart grid market, including BT, Arquiva, O2 and British Gas.